The NORM.DIST function returns the cumulative distribution function value or probability density value for a given x, mean, and standard deviation.
This function estimates the probability that a random variable from a normal distribution will be less than or equal to a specified value.
Syntax
NORM.DIST(x, mean, standard_deviation, cumulative)
Argument |
Description |
Permitted values |
|---|---|---|
x |
Random value used for calculations |
Numerical value or reference to a cell containing a number |
mean |
Arithmetic mean of the value set used to construct the distribution |
Numerical value or reference to a cell containing a number |
standard_deviation |
Standard deviation of normal distribution |
Numerical value > 0 or a reference to a cell containing a number |
cumulative |
Boolean value that determines the function to be returned: normal cumulative distribution function (TRUE) or probability mass function (FALSE) |
TRUE or FALSE |
Examples of use
Suppose you have normally distributed data with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.
To find out the probability that a random variable is less than or equal to 120, enter the formula:
=NORM.DIST(120, 100, 15, TRUE())
Result: approximately 0.908.
To find the probability that a random variable equals 120, you can use:
=NORM.DIST(120, 100, 15, FALSE())
Result: approximately 0.010.
Notes
–The NORM.DIST function is useful in statistical analysis, for example, to estimate probabilities within a normal distribution.
–Make sure that the standard_deviation argument is greater than 0, otherwise the function will return the #NUM! error.